Everybody has a background, including the celebrities you see daily in television shows, movies, newspapers, and magazines. You know most of them either as famous media personalities, actors, actresses, political figures, or sports celebrities, but the fact is that these celebrities did not just wake up and become who they are today. Some tried other avenues in life before they ended up in their current careers.
In this article we’ll look at celebrities who went to law school. That guy or girl on TV who makes you laugh your heart out may have been an academic genius at one point. Some made it through law school while others never made it to graduation. Some even had stints practicing law before branching out to their current activities, while others never quite utilized their law degrees before moving into completely different careers.
Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler’s involvement with law school makes for an interesting tale. He studied law at the University of Glasgow and even became president of the law society there. After his undergraduate studies, he joined a firm in Edinburgh as a trainee lawyer. His adventures with law ended when he was fired one week before he could qualify as a fully trained lawyer. This is when he moved to London to pursue an acting career. He’s now a successful actor, having featured in multiple films such as action films 300 and Olympus Has Fallen among others.
Julio Iglesias
Before Julio Iglesias was belting out multiple albums, he was a law student. He began his law studies at the University of CEU San Pablo, where he also played soccer. An automobile accident left him paralyzed for two years, however, and he had to take a break from his law studies. It was during this time that he started playing the guitar and unearthed his musical talents. After a successful career in music, he finally completed his law studies in Madrid in 2001.
Jerry Springer
Long before his broadcast journalism days, Jerry Springer was quite the lawyer. After attending law school at Northwestern University, he began a career in law and politics. He worked as a chief campaign advisor to Robert Kennedy in 1968. He practised law in Cincinnati, Ohio and even served as the mayor of Cincinnati.
Mahatma Gandhi
Known best for his non-violent campaign that led India to independence, Mahatma Gandhi was also a lawyer. He studied law at the University College London in the UK and passed the bar exam after some years in London. He went to practise in Bombay, before moving to South Africa. He later went back to India and led the country to independence.
Vince Lombardi
This legendary football coach is one of those who did not quite make it through law school. He began his law studies at Fordham University in 1938 only to drop out a semester later, dissatisfied with his grades. He later on discovered his coaching talents and went ahead to lead the Green Bay Packers to five NFL championships within seven years.
John Cleese
One of the funniest comedians in the world, it’s hard to imagine that John Cleese attended law school. He studied law at the University of Cambridge. The drama club at the school seems to have made a more impactful impression on him than his classes, though, since after graduating, he didn’t practise law but got into comedy. He co-founded the popular Monty Python and went ahead to star in several other comedies and movies.
